Heritage under Production. Architecture transforming old shipyards

The Arsenale of Venice is a case of great interest for the research on the architectural and urban design¸ both with regard to the approaches that believe those production heritage buildings should be exploited again¸ and to the role assumed by the historical and architectural value of the urban area in relation to a possible shared vision of its regeneration.
The question that emerges from the awareness of the plan and of the transformation process is the prevalence of a conservative approach¸ which only allows contemporary architecture very few places for expression or to actually measure up against existing structures¸ especially in relation to the open spaces of the whole complex.
The need to plan projects that will lead the city to fully owning the Arsenale¸ therefore¸ drives the pursuit of finding similar places where transformation work has been conducted.
As was the case for many other ancient production buildings¸ the “factories” of the shipyards were largely transformed into places devoted to knowledge and different types of exhibition space.
The cases examined by the essay refer to two very different works¸ both in the port area¸ in Dunkirk¸ Nord-Pas de Calais in France (a project by Lacaton & Vassal for the FRAC arts centre) and the National Maritime Museum in Helsingør, Denmark (a project by Bjarke Ingels and David Zahle - BIG) respectively.
The archaeological dimension of these contexts requires that the project is able to understand it in its future projection to highlight its value. A value that is capable of preserving its main features on the outside by taking on new roles and functions.